‘Hunting’ Every Day

Unfortunately, we know that we can’t take off from work every day and go hunting. If we could, we most certainly would.

Wait – what if we could go “hunting” every day without taking off time from work? Even though this solution will not get us deer, elk, or moose, it is just as motivating. It might be even more exciting than hunting, in some cases.

The answer? Trapping.

What is trapping?

Trapping is so much more than catching a mouse or a rat. Trapping is an animal being captured within a trap. A trap is a device to trap animals with the purpose of fur, meat, survival, or pest control.

There are many different types of traps: the foothold (jaw), the body-grip (conibear), the snare, the snap (rat/mouse), the live cage, the colony, and the deadfall trap. Unfortunately, you can’t really trap big game. However, you can trap small game, varmints, and canines.

The difference between hunting and trapping?

Dissimilar to fishing poles and firearms, traps operate 24/7 without you. Traps work when you’re sleeping, working, at school, or even hunting. You don’t need to sit and wait. It works wherever you may be. It takes less time than hunting.

When can you trap?

Get up early, get out there, check, and reset your traps. If you happen to get an animal within your trap, dispatch it and place in your freezer or fridge. When you get home from work, you can skin it then. So yes, you can really “hunt” every day.

Let’s go trapping

If you didn’t already know, you can make some money off of trapping – the fur of an animal does have a certain amount of worth. When you skin your trapped animal, you either stick it in your freezer or tan it – that is up to you. After skinning, you store your furs and you can sell them to a fur buyer.

When you begin trapping, always be alert of your state laws. You can find them on your state natural resource agency’s webpage.

The most common laws are:

Only trap during your state’s trapping season.

Purchase a trapping license (fur-taker permit) before you trap.

Always humanly treat your trapped animals.

If trapping on private property, always ask the landowner if you may trap on his/her land.

Obey all of you state’s trapping regulations.

Of all the traps constructed by man, the snare is probably the most “stress-free” trap.

When trapping, always start with small animals, such as squirrels, then go on to larger fur-bearers, such as canines.

The squirrel’s ramp of snares

You need

Pliers

24-gauge wire

A pencil

A lengthy branch or log

Steps

Using your pliers, cut about 15 to 20 inches of wire. Grab your pencil and the wire. Loop the wire around the pencil twice. Twist-tie the loop, using the pencil. Pull the pencil out of the loop.

Put the other end of the wire through the loop, and make that loop 2 ½ inches in diameter (about the size of your fist).

Grab your lengthy branch or log and attach the snare onto it by wrapping the extra length of the wire to the stick. Then twist-tie the remainder back around it. It should look like the picture in step 2.

Attach several snares to the branch/log to trap more than one squirrel. Then test the snare and see how and if it works. Make your hand as if you were putting on a mitten, and slide your hand through the snare. Your thumb should be pointing down. The snare should tighten up around your hand. Then set the lengthy branch on a tree where squirrels often climb.

With no bait, you must rely on the fact that squirrels nest or travel on the tree where you have set the ramp. If you are trapping for fur or meat, use crunchy peanut butter to bait it. Do not place bait on the snare but behind it or in front.

The average squirrel pelt sells for $1 to $4, and also, squirrel meat is quite tasty – if you enjoy the taste of chicken.